Newtown High teen Max Galassi directed a film called "Youth," about the trials and tribulations of being a teen in suburbia.

It debuted during the Newtown Arts Festival last September, and recently had its cinematic premiere at Bethel Cinema. We talked to Galassi to find out what's next for the film and for him.

Q: Do you have any other screenings of "Youth" planned?

A: Not planned, but I will submit it to a few festivals around America, and definitely have another 'local-ish' screening. Hopefully, it will play in other venues around the country.

Q: What was your biggest challenge in making "Youth"?

A: I can think of two challenges. One was more of a technical thing -- time. Getting it done by Sept. 17 (in time for the Newtown festival) was huge. It's a one-hour movie I was working on since April 2013.

I was taking my time until August when the screening was set up, then it was like a race to the finish line. We shot three scenes in one day, it got difficult, with other variables.

Jeremy Eckl, who played one of the main characters, was going back to college Aug. 20 or so. He actually had to come back one weekend to do one scene.

The other was the emotional challenge. The content in the movie -- you have to do it right. There's death, sadness; it was a challenge because of what happened in my town last year.

I like to think of filmmaking as a method of healing, like all art is a method of healing.

The challenge is in doing it right. I was scared, almost, to show it, because it is very emotional.

Q: What can you tell us about other films you may be working on now -- are they similar to "Youth"?

A: Yes, I'm working on two short films. One is a film with my film class at RCA, the Regional Center for the Arts in Trumbull. Four people are on the project. I'm going to direct. We're shooting that in the near future. It's already written.

Another short film I'm in the early stages of conceptualizing. I hope to get that finished in time for NFFTY (the National Festival for Talented Youth) in late January or early February.

I made "Sophie's Tree" last year. It wasn't created for it (NFFTY), just finished in time to enter it.

It had really prominent themes of innocence and vulnerability. Because I used a teenage actress, it had the element of youth in it. It dealt with some of the same things that come up in "Youth."

So "Sophie's Tree" transitioned into "Youth." The next one doesn't have that connection.

I make films based on my experiences and feelings that I've had. I use bits of this in every film, so ultimately a little piece of me is in every film.

Q: How do you juggle your filmmaking with your high school work?

A: Funny you should ask that. It's been really easy. I've been going to RCA in Trumbull since freshman year, and it helps me grow as a filmmaker.

They have good resources, good people that are good resources. I go to Newtown High School and then to RCA. I was debating whether I should do musical theatre or video, but when I started video, I fell in love with it.

A: Eighth grade, when we had the PTA Reflections program for kids. Kids make a piece of art on a theme and are judged on creativity. My brother had won an award in elementary school with a photograph.

In eighth grade, my friends used to make YouTube videos, so I thought I'd make a video about bullying. I surprised my mother. She said, "I didn't know you could do that," and I said, "Neither did I!"

I discovered my passion in that video. It was very emotional, got an emotional response. I enjoyed being able to stimulate other people's emotions through this art. It's a tangible representation of a feeling or a moment.

It's a method to preserve a feeling or memory and have other people experience them too.

Q: What's your favorite part of filmmaking? Why?

A: I enjoy all parts -- writing, coming up with the idea, directing, filming, editing. When you grow up, you only have to do one of these jobs, but now I do them all. I really enjoy writing, but I also really enjoy directing. My favorite part is probably directing.

Watching "Youth" projected at the Arts Festival, I was thinking back to when it was just an idea or a notion in my head and how it just became something other people can watch and experience. It's insane being able to create something other people can experience.

Directing covers everything. I really like to work with actors. I really like to use their experiences and memories as anchors to relate to the content, to make it as natural as possible.

Acting is often unrecognized -- the true art of acting -- you use your experiences and memories and emotions. Great actors, great painters, great artists use what you have inside to enhance your performance.

As a director I want to extract those emotions and memories and help the actors use it for the film.